Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu holds talks with Syrian Defence

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu holds talks with Syrian Defence Minister Mahmoud Abbas

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu held talks with Syrian Minister of Defence Mahmoud Abbas in Moscow today. During the talks, the two sides discussed the situation in Syria,
and current issues of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation.

The Ministers of Defence of Russia and Syria underlined the importance of continuing close interaction aimed at maintaining stability in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation also expressed his condolences to the people of Syria in connection with the earthquake in February this year. 'My condolences to the families of the victims, to the people of Syria. This is a great tragedy. We will try to be with you at this time, be there for you, and our grouping has been assisting through our services and humanitarian assistance. Russia has responded to the great misfortune that has befallen Syrian people,' Sergei Shoigu said.

The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere and reaffirmed the intention to further develop Russian-Syrian cooperation in the field of defence and the fight against terrorism. 'We have come a long way with you in recent years, a huge distance, in terms of liberating the territory of Syria from international terrorism. There is, of course, still a lot of work ahead, but most of this work has been done,' the Russian Defence Minister said.

In turn, the Syrian Minister of Defence thanked Russian military personnel for their assistance and expressed hope that the cooperation would continue.